‘So where is he now?’
‘Well, first he went back on the trawlers.’
‘What?’
‘Don’t worry, I managed to talk him out of it … he helped Davyd Coleman for a couple of months because one of his men was off sick. However, he’s now working at Boscawen’s.’
‘The boatyard at Port Morwen?’
Em nodded. ‘I think he’s happy there. Ruan said he’s always been a natural with anything mechanical. Certainly the last time we chatted he seemed quite settled. Of course, there is one loose end—’
‘Please, we are not having this conversation, Em,’ Cat interrupted, raising her hands in protest. ‘I have made a new life for myself in Italy, that’s where my future is now.’
‘My dear girl.’ Em looked at her sadly. ‘Do you want some advice from one who has been there? Don’t walk away. Please, talk to him.’
‘I’m sorry, I can’t. You’re asking too much,’ Cat said, leaning forward to grab her bag. She had to leave and it had to be now. ‘If you trace all this back to its roots, Luke was the one who kept secrets from me in the first place. And I would have thought after Tristan, you of all people would have understood about how dishonest men can be.’
Em didn’t answer. She simply sat there silently, sad eyes fixed on Cat.
‘Oh God, I’m sorry.’ Cat scooted over to her side, slipping an arm around her great-aunt’s shoulder. ‘I didn’t mean that.’
‘No need to apologise.’ Em’s hand stretched out to cover hers. ‘But you’re wrong about Tristan. You see, he didn’t break off our engagement. I did.’
‘What?’ It took a moment for Cat to take in the implication of what she’d just heard. ‘No,’ she shook her head, ‘that can’t be right, we’ve always known …’
‘No, it was me. I made a mistake … a huge mistake. I met Tristan Noble at a party when I was twenty-one. He seemed perfect in every way; he was funny, witty and kind; so easy to fall in love with. He also came from a wealthy family. All in all he was perfect husband material and I knew your great-grandfather would approve. Oh, how much I wanted to be someone’s wife, and mistress of my own home. Tristan adored me and nine months after we met he asked me to marry him. Everything was fine, until Eleanor Harrison and her parents moved into Waterston Grange. We moved in the same circles and soon became friends. I didn’t realise that friendship was merely a means to an end. You see, she’d seen Tristan and wanted him for herself.’
‘So what happened?’ Cat’s curiosity was piqued.
‘Eleanor was very clever. She began to plant doubts in my mind about him. And when someone who you consider a good friend is constantly whispering in your ear and alerting you to things you realise you hadn’t noticed before, if you hear it long enough you begin to believe it’s true. I did. She played on my fears of losing him. The arguments began and then one evening at a dance I found him out on the terrace with another girl. She’d felt unwell and, being the kind-hearted soul he was, he’d accompanied her out there to get some fresh air. But Eleanor’s whispers turned an innocent action into something sordid. I lost my temper, threw my ring at him and said I never wanted to see him again.’
‘So Eleanor got what she wanted?’
‘No, he was never interested in her but, just like Tanya, she decided if she couldn’t have him then neither would I. I realised afterwards what I’d done. I’d thrown away my chance of happiness with a good, kind man I adored. I went to see him to apologise. I hoped he might take me back but it was too late, the damage was done. Of course, we can all be wiser with the benefit of hindsight.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘I could … should have handled it differently, but I didn’t. And there we are. I’ve paid for my mistake. All I’m asking is that you don’t do the same. See him, Cat, talk to him. He deserves that at least.’
Cat walked back across the causeway, the conversation she’d just had with Em still buzzing around her head. She couldn’t accept her story about wrecking her own engagement. No way did that happen. No, it was merely a devious attempt to get her to patch things up with Luke. But what was the point? Even though she now accepted she might have been wrong about Tanya, there was still the issue of Luke’s lack of honesty. Seeing him wouldn’t change anything; in fact it would probably make things worse.The plain fact of the matter was she didn’t want to see him. In fact she planned to avoid him at all costs.
She reached the hotel to find Raphael on the terrace with Jodie and heard the sound of their laughter as they shared a joke.
‘Aunt Em okay?’ Jodie asked as she sat down just in time to see the waiter arrive with three glasses of Pimms.
‘Yes, fine, looking forward to her party,’ she lied. They hadn’t even touched on that; it had all been about Luke.
‘How are the preparations going?’
‘Dad tells me Siobhan has everything in hand. I’m not even going to take a look at what she’s done,’ Cat insisted. ‘This is her project and the last thing I want her to feel is that I’m muscling in.’
‘I do so enjoy Pimms,’ Jodie said, taking a sip of the dark liquid before fishing about in her glass for a slice of strawberry. ‘So very English. Do you have anything in Italy like this?’ she asked Raphael.
‘We have a refreshing cocktail called Aperol Spritz,’ he answered as he took a mouthful of Pimms and smiled. ‘Mmm this is good.’
‘And how do you make Aperol Spritz?’ Jodie asked, still busy fishing fruit from her glass.
Raphael thought for a moment. ‘It is made from Prosecco, Aperol and soda … oh, and we add ice and an orange slice, too.’
‘What’s Aperol?’
‘Like Campari but darker and not as bitter,’ Cat answered. ‘I’ve been to many of the towns on the lake this summer and everyone is drinking it.’
